Grid tee for suspended ceiling

ABSTRACT

A suspended ceiling grid beam is provided that has an increased beam height to provide enhanced resistance to downward deflection. The beam has a cross-section generally in the form of an inverted T, with a central web, a pair of panel support flanges extending from one edge of the web, and a reinforcing bulb extending from the other edge of the web. The reinforcing bulb has a generally planar, fin-like structure extending therefrom opposite to and generally co-planar with the central web.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/887,850, filed Feb. 2, 2007, and is a continuation in part of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/499,035, filed Aug. 4, 2006, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/705,758, filed Aug. 5, 2005, all of which are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a beam or runner having a generally inverted T cross section that is used in a support grid for suspended ceilings.

Suspended ceilings typically require a support grid comprising a plurality of interconnected beams for supporting ceiling tiles or panels, light fixtures, air diffusers, etc. The beams, also referred to as runners or tees, are generally inverted T-shaped with a reinforcing bulb at the top, a vertical web extending downwardly from the bulb, and opposed horizontal flanges at the bottom of the web for supporting drop-end ceiling panels. In standard practice, the height of the beam, as measured from the top of the flange to the top of the beam, is approximately 1½ inches, so as to accommodate the frames of conventional fluorescent ceiling light fixtures. The beams are typically made in a roll-forming operation from a flat strip of sheet metal, as is well known in the art.

It is well known that resistance to downward deflection in the runner or tee is enhanced by the reinforcing bead at the upper end of the vertical web, and various shapes for the reinforcing bead have been proposed. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 3,511,012, where the reinforcing bead is triangle-shaped; U.S. Pat. No. 4,525,973, where the reinforcing bead is rectangle-shaped; U.S. Pat. No. 4,549,383, where the reinforcing bead is square-shaped; U.S. Pat. No. 4,932,186, where the reinforcing bead is circle-shaped; U.S. Pat. No. 4,989,387, where the reinforcing bead is trapezoid-shaped; U.S. Pat. No. 5,896,724, where the reinforcing bead is diamond-shaped; and U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,817,357 and 6,138,416, where the reinforcing bead is pentagon-shaped, with the peak pointing either downward or upward.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

By way of the present invention, a suspended ceiling grid member is provided having an improved reinforcing bead configuration that provides enhanced resistance to downward deflection. The beam or grid tee has a cross-section generally in the form of an inverted T, with a central web, a pair of panel support flanges extending from one edge of the web, and a reinforcing bulb extending from the other edge of the web. In keeping with an aspect of the invention, the reinforcing bulb has optionally includes a generally planar, “fin-like” structure extending therefrom opposite to and generally co-planar with the central web.

The fin has narrow width in comparison with the width of the reinforcing bulb. In a first embodiment, the fin is generally planar. In a second embodiment, the fin is more in the shape of a drop, with the narrow portion of the drop being adjacent to the reinforcing bulb.

In keeping with another aspect of the invention, the two layers forming the web of the beam are stitched together to provide additional resistance to torque.

Other features and advantages will become apparent upon reference to the drawings and detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1-5 show cross-sectional views of five different embodiments of suspended ceiling grid beam that include a reinforcing fin in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a beam according to the present invention, in which the fin includes a hole for receiving the hanger wire for suspending the beam.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the strengthening fin taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a beam according to the present invention showing a stitching method in which the web of the beam has a series of horizontal stitches with a vertical cut therein spaced at intervals along the length of the runner.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a stitch taken along line 9-9 of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the stitch prior to having the vertical cut being made therein.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the suspended ceiling grid beam of FIG. 5.

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary cross-sectioned view of the ceiling grid beam of FIGS. 5 and 11 showing a hanger wire.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With reference to FIGS. 1-5, a runner or tee 10 for use in a suspended ceiling is disclosed comprising a reinforcing bead or bulb 12, a central web 16, and a pair of opposed flanges 26 for supporting ceiling panels or tiles, with a cap 27 covering the exposed portions of the flanges 26, all as is well known in the art.

In keeping with one aspect of the invention, the bulb 12 of the runner 10 is modified to provide for a greater beam height than the standard runner configuration. This is accomplished by forming the bulb 12 with a central fin 14. While the bulb 12 typically has a rectangular cross-sectional shape, as seen in FIGS. 1-4, other cross-sectional shapes are contemplated, such as the I-beam or “dog-bone” shape seen in FIG. 5, in which the bulb has a relatively narrow central portion 28 between an enlarged top 30 and bottom 32. The fin 14 extends from the bulb 12 generally opposite to, and coplanar with, the web 16 of the runner and forms a continuous curve about its upper end. This provides for greater strength, and thus greater resistance to deflection, than a runner of identical configuration but without the fin. The fin 14 preferably has a generally flat configuration (as seen in FIGS. 1-3), and is narrow in width as compared to the width of the strengthening bulb 12. However, other narrow configurations may be used for the fin 14, such as the inverted drop shape seen in FIGS. 4 and 5. The fin 14 may be of different heights, with the overall height of the runner or tee being maintained, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Thus, while the total height of the tee is a predetermined value, the heights of each of the bulb 12 and fin 14 may vary.

The enhanced strength provided by the fin configuration permits the runner to be formed of thinner material than the prior art runner without compromising the beam strength of the runner. This results in a runner that is more economical to manufacture (because less material is required) is easier to handle, particularly in bulk or carton quantities (because each runner is lighter in weight), and is easier to cut.

The fin 14 also facilitates the creation of a runner suitable for long spans by stacking a second, inverted, runner on top of the first runner, with their fins 14 lying along each other, and preferably secured to each other through the fins. Such a configuration can also be used to create a coffer.

With reference to FIG. 3, the fin 14 can be reinforced by introducing an elongated strengthening element 18 of the same material of the remainder of the runner that is bonded in place between the opposed faces of the two layers that comprise the fin by, e.g., adhesive, solder, spot welding, plasma welding, toggle locks, or by stitching or the creation of embossed hanger wire holes in the fin, as discussed below.

To provide the beam with added resistance to torque, the two layers of the web are preferably secured to each other by means of locking stitches or lances that mechanically join together the two layers of the web. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,489,529, which is incorporated herein by reference. This patent shows the web of a suspended ceiling beam fastened together by either a horizontal or a vertical stitch.

The stitch 20 may be of any configuration known in the art, but is preferably of the configuration shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. FIGS. 8 and 9 show a 2-axis stitch 20 applied at spaced intervals along the length of the web. This stitch 20 includes a vertical cut 21 to resist motion in the horizontal direction.

The stitches 20 are preferably made as part of the roll forming operation for the beam in which the beam is passed between a pair of cooperating rollers. One roller has a series of small punches with opposed cutting edges spaced around its circumference, while the other roller has a continuous circumferential groove aligned so that the punches penetrate the groove. Thus, in a first roll pass, the web passes through the rollers, and the punches in the first wheel cut out parallel slots and displace a slug out of the plane of the web and into the groove of the second roller, with the slug from one of the layers protruding through the hole in the other layer to form a horizontally-oriented D-shaped stitch, when viewed in horizontal section as shown in FIG. 10. This resists vertical displacement between the two layers of the vertical web. See also U.S. Pat. No. 6,047,511, FIGS. 1-2a and associated description, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,979,055, FIGS. 1-3 and associated description, both of which are incorporated by reference. Thus, each stitch comprises two horizontally oriented legs displaced out of the plane of the web that have their free ends engaging each other and, preferably displaced back to or into the plane of the web.

The beam is then passed through a second pair of rollers in which one of the rollers has an edge that creates a vertical displacement in the D-stitch formed in the first roll pass to complete the stitch. As shown in FIG. 9, the illustrated stitch includes a vertical cut that completely severs the layers of the web. However, this is not required and the second roll pass operation may simply press a central portion of the D-shaped stitch back into the plane of the layers forming the web.

As shown in FIG. 7, the fin 14 is preferably provided with a series of spaced holes 22 for receiving the hanger wire 24 for suspending the assembled grid from the ceiling. Preferably, the series of holes 22 is spaced so that a hole 22 is aligned with apertures in the web of the beam for receiving the cross beams. Having the fin 14, rather than the web 16, carry the hanger wire allows for the hanger wire to be aligned with the cross-tee and for the hanger wire to be more tightly wrapped about itself. This, in turn, lessens the likelihood of damaging the edges of the ceiling tiles by the hanger wire when the tiles are dropped into place on the flanges 26 of the runner 10 because there is greater clearance. The greater clearance also facilitates faster installation of the ceiling tile. The hanger holes 22 are also preferably formed as part of an embossment 28 for additional strength. The embossment 28 also provides a tapered hole, which allows easier hanger wire insertion.

Additional advantages accrue to runners in which the reinforcing bead 12 includes the dog bone profile as seen in FIG. 5. With reference to FIGS. 11 and 12, hanger wire holes 34 are punched in the narrow central portion 28 of the reinforcing bead 12 where the opposing surfaces are at a minimum distance apart. The hanger wire holes 34, as illustrated, have a generally elongated shape. In one embodiment, the hanger wire holes have a major axis measuring approximately ¼″ and a minor axis measuring approximately 3/16″ and are spaced at intervals of approximately 1⅞″ along the length of the reinforcing bead. Preferably, the profile of the bead is such that there is an angled transition 36 between each of the wide top and bottom portions 30, 32 and the narrow central portion 28. As a consequence, the angled portions 36 can act as guiding surfaces to facilitate the threading of the hanger wire 38 through the hole. Further, the closeness of the opposing surfaces of the narrow portion 28 allow for greater off-angle installation of the hanger wire 38. While the embodiment of FIGS. 5 and 11 includes a fin 14, a fin is not required in order to obtain the foregoing advantages.

Thus, an improved beam for a suspended ceiling grid has been provided. While the invention has been described in terms of certain preferred embodiments, there is no intent to limit the invention to the same. Instead, the invention is defined by the scope of the following claims. 

1. A grid tee for a suspended ceiling having a cross-section generally in the form of an inverted T with a central web with first and second opposed edges, a pair of support flanges extending from the first edge of the web, and a reinforcing bulb extending from the second edge of the web, the reinforcing bulb having a cross section with a narrow central portion and a relatively wider top and bottom portion.
 2. The grid-tee of claim 1 wherein the narrow central portion of the reinforcing bulb includes a series of spaced apertures adapted to receive hangar wire for suspending the grid tee.
 3. The grid tee of claim 1 further comprising a fin extending upwardly from the relatively wider top portion of the reinforcing bulb.
 4. The grid tee of claim 1 wherein the web comprises a double layer, the layers being secured together by a plurality of stitches at spaced intervals along the web, the stitches being forced with a pair of opposed horizontally oriented cuts through the two layers and each stitch including a vertical displacement to resist motion in a vertical direction. 